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 Rickles, who said he devised his brand of mockery-based humor
because he was no good at telling traditional jokes, had
developed a bacterial infection in recent months that led him to
cancel a number of performances.
His death was confirmed by his spokesman, Paul Shefrin, who said
Rickles is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara, as well as
their daughter, Mindy Mann, and two grandchildren. He would have
turned 91 on May 8.
Rickles' last appeared on stage in Las Vegas in late October.
But he continued to work after falling ill in February, taping
segments of an upcoming internet series for the American
Association of Retired Persons titled "Dinner with Don," hosting
one-on-one conversations with various celebrities, Shefrin said.
The New York-born Rickles had an intense, often-ad libbed,
rapid-fire delivery and a wide, impish grin. He delighted
nightclub audiences, Hollywood royalty and politicians by
hurling invective at them, all in good fun.
Encountering Frank Sinatra for the first time during a stand-up
act in 1957, Rickles greeted the mercurial singer as Sinatra
walked in with a retinue of tough guys by saying, "Make yourself
at home, Frank - hit somebody."
Luckily for Rickles, the line amused Sinatra, who became one of
his biggest boosters and took to calling the short, bald Rickles
"Bullethead." The comedian soon became an ex-officio member of
the Sinatra-led group of popular entertainers known as the "Rat
Pack."
DISHING IT OUT
Performing decades later at the second inaugural gala of U.S.
President Ronald Reagan in 1985, Rickles did not hesitate to
zing the commander-in-chief, asking, "Is this too fast for you,
Ronnie?"
But the most frequent targets of the "Merchant of Venom" were
the fans who packed his performances for a chance to be
belittled as a "dummy," a "hockey puck" or worse. Celebrities
often showed up just for the honor of being mocked by Rickles,
and no minority or ethnic group was immune to a Rickles
tongue-lashing.
"He was called 'The Merchant of Venom' but in truth, he was one
of the kindest, caring and most sensitive human beings we have
ever known," actor-comedian Bob Newhart and his wife, Ginnie,
said in a statement.
Comic actor Jim Carrey tweeted: "Don once begged me for a couple
of bucks, then told me to twist myself into a pretzel. Ego
slayer! Comic Everest!" Oscar winner Tom Hanks also tweeted a
tribute to his "Toy Story" co-star, saying, "A God died today.
Don Rickles, we did not want to ever lose you. Never."
Rickles also mocked himself and shied away from describing his
act as insult comedy, insisting his humor stemmed not from
mean-spiritedness but from wild exaggerations played for laughs.
"If I were to insult people and mean it, that wouldn't be
funny," he once said.
Much of Rickles' material played on racial and ethnic
stereotypes that did not always keep up with cultural evolution.
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He came under fire in 2012 for a joke that characterized President
Barack Obama as a janitor. His spokesman defended the line as just
"a joke, as were the other comments Don made that night."
"Anyone who knows him knows he's not a racist," the spokesman told
Politico then.
HECKLING THE HECKLERS
Rickles, a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New
York, proved especially adept in early nightclub engagements at
handling hecklers. Eventually, poking fun at audience members would
become a major part of his act.
In an interview with Reuters to promote his 2007 memoir "Rickles'
Book," he said his flair for impromptu insults grew out of his
shortcomings as a conventional comic.
"I just can't tell jokes," he said. "As a young man I had a
personality that I could rib somebody and get away with it."
Rickles, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War Two, also
built a resume as an actor, making his film debut as a junior
officer alongside Clark Cable and Burt Lancaster in the 1958
submarine drama "Run Silent, Run Deep."
He went on to appear in a series of 1960s "beach party" movies with
Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon and in 1970 played Army hustler
Sergeant Crapgame in the wartime caper "Kelly's Heroes," with Clint
Eastwood, Telly Savalas and Donald Sutherland.
He endeared himself to an entirely new generation by providing the
voice of Mr. Potato Head in the computer-animated "Toy Story" movie
and its two sequels in the 1990s. In 1995 he had a dramatic role in
Martin Scorsese's Las Vegas crime film "Casino."
But Rickles' biggest exposure came on television, both as a frequent
sitcom guest star and late-night and variety show regular,
especially on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" and "The
Dean Martin Show."
On Carson, Rickles was typically introduced by Spanish matador
music, signifying someone was about to be metaphorically gored.
Several Rickles TV series were short-lived, the most popular of
which was the NBC comedy "C.P.O. Sharkey," in which he starred as a
U.S. Navy chief petty officer in charge of new recruits. The series
lasted just two seasons.
A TV documentary, "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project," directed by
John Landis, aired on HBO in 2007.
(Reporting by Jill Sergeant in New York and Piya Sinha-Roy in Los
Angeles; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Bill Trott)
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